Rollin' With It

HEYYOOO

This week was probably the most fun week I have had out here in the Bodi! I loved every second of the week and had some really funny, spiritual and awesome experiences. 

My companion and  Elder Peck's companion went to the city for MLC (because they are Zone Leaders) and then did exchanges with the Siem Riep District so I was at a different house, with Elder Peck (the biggest homie)(from my group) for the whole entire week, in two different areas with twice the people to meet and we put in work!!! The Lord was truly watching out for us and helping us. It was so much fun. One day we kinda ran out of stuff to do and when we were planning we just decided to put "Head out!" from 3 till 7:30 and trust in Lord. Although I don't want to make it a habit, it felt like everyone we talked to was willing to accept our message or at least sit and talk with us. God was guiding our work.

We also had some of the funniest experiences I have had in my whole mission. 

• While riding our bikes down the road a stray cow came OUT OF NOWHERE and just about knocked me off my bike but at the last second, he turned, narrowly missing me and my first collision with a COW.

• Elder Chaparro got locked in one of the bathrooms so I legit kicked the door down, James Bond style. 

• On the exchange, we didn't have enough bikes for the other elders so I rode this kids bike that was the smallest thing in the world. It was hilarious. The bike was called "The pumpkin party"  and we just rolled with it... literally. 

• We were walking around in my area and saw some kids playing soccer, and so I and Elder Peck went full MESSI on them. It was pretty comical. Two white dudes in shirts and ties on a dirt/trash field, playing with kids half our size that had no shoes. I took a second and looked around and thought to myself that this is kinda like what you see on all the pictures, advertisements, etc. back home and yet here I am living it and I couldn't be happier. 

• There was a blood moon on Wednesday and in Buddhism, everyone goes nuts about it haha so we went to the roof and watched the floating lanterns that they sent of to celebrate. I ate this stuff called snake fruit and it was MONEY! It kinda tasted like sour patch kids (or as close as you can get to it) and it was delicious. 

I had a very humbling experience this week. We taught this Pu (man) who is usually super duper drunk and although he told us he hadn't been drinking. He was just kinda rambling and I was just thinking to myself, "Why are we wasting our time on this guy who will never be able to give up drinking and probably never get baptized." I ended up just saying to him that we weren't going to be able to come back and visit very often, and that we needed to go. As Elder Peck and I picked up our backpacks I noticed that he started to cry. I was really confused. Here is this man that seemed so okay with his life and seemed like he would probably never be able to accept this gospel, however as we sat down again and talked to him I was greatly humbled. 

He told us how his son had passed away four or five years ago. While walking to school by himself his son was hit by a car and killed. I could feel the sadness that filled this man from head to foot. He started drinking because of the loss of his son, and his life was never the same. Here we were, the exact people who could give him the hope and knowledge to overcome his sadness and we were about to leave, taking away that opportunity for him to change. We shared a scripture and taught about the plan of salvation, and promised him that we would come back to see him. Although I know that change will be really hard for him, I know that he needs the love of our Savior in his life. He needs the hope of this gospel. We all do. We all need the eternal perspective that maybe one day we can rest from our labors in the kingdom of God and that man can hold his son in his arms again. It was very humbling. I vowed to never make this work about me, but to be able to spread the love of the Savior with everyone I come in to contact with and to be a respecter of all persons. 

Anyway, that is pretty much all that I have for this week! Another amazing week in Cambodia! I love you all and I hope you know that I miss you. I hope you know that this work is truly the work of the Lord. I truly know that Jesus Christ is our Savior. I truly know that we are all children of the same loving Heavenly Father.

Oh... and GO EAGLES, BLUE DEVILS, and MY NEW NIECE/NEPHEW OOPS!

//Elder Gochnour